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| Which would you rather have watched? |
| Two or three episodes of "Rome" |
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72% |
[ 8 ] |
| "300" |
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27% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 11 |
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Message |
Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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 Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:50 am Post subject: "300" vs. "Rome" |
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I finally saw "300" last night, and would have much preferred watching two or three episodes of Rome.
I guess "300" is OK if you enjoy watching fictionalized Spartans fight ninjas, Frankenstein monsters, and grenade-tossing wizards against a background that looks more like a screen-saver than Greece. By the end, my eyes were tired of looking at shades of orange and red.
What was funniest was the way they kept talking about fighting for freedom, and criticizing the Persians for their use of slaves. Funny, since Sparta subjugated Messenia and turned its inhabitants into helots who laboured to produce grain for Sparta. While not exactly slaves, they had no freedom or political rights and were considered property. Sparta's famous warriors spent a lot of their time and energy hunting down and slaughtering any potential rebels.
I loved this line, spoken by Brutus on a recent episode of Rome, as he faced certain defeat and death at the hands of the troops of Mark Antony and Octavian:
"Tell my mother ... tell my mother ... something appropriate."
What I'd like to see would be a movie about the life of Epaminondas. He beat the Spartans at their own brand of warfare, twice, the second time being on their home turf. He liberated Messenia and broke the back of the Spartan war machine so effectively that they never again were the military superpower that they once were. Though it's not confirmed, he may have taught the art of war to Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:30 am Post subject: |
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They are both good stories, but 300 is a movie and Rome is a good mini-series.
300 was good for cinematics, but I agree that the idealism of democracy vs tyranny gets lame and over-used. There is a point to be made about what the 18th century calls 'Oriental Despotism' versus the Latins use of senates and forums 'of the people'.
I suppose if they made a 2 hour movie of Rome, I'd watch that instead.
Octavians' mummy is really a sexy dish ! I'd be her stud, no probs  |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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I enjoyed both of them. The stylization of 300 was visually interesting.
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| What was funniest was the way they kept talking about fighting for freedom, and criticizing the Persians for their use of slaves. |
The trouble is, the Greeks really did that. Ironic that both Athens and Sparta ragged on about freedom while depending on the enslavement of the majority population. |
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SarcasmKills
Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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I'd rather watch Rome anyday... It's too bad the series finale in on tonight..
300 had a few memorable moments, but any of the second season episodes of Rome have been superiour.. |
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endo
Joined: 14 Mar 2004
Location: Seoul...my home
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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Rome surpased The Wire as my favorite tv show.
It's an incredible television series. |
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JeJuJitsu
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Location: McDonald's
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:12 pm Post subject: Re: "300" vs. "Rome" |
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| Troll_Bait wrote: |
I finally saw "300" last night, and would have much preferred watching two or three episodes of Rome.
I guess "300" is OK if you enjoy watching fictionalized Spartans fight ninjas, Frankenstein monsters, and grenade-tossing wizards against a background that looks more like a screen-saver than Greece. By the end, my eyes were tired of looking at shades of orange and red.
What was funniest was the way they kept talking about fighting for freedom, and criticizing the Persians for their use of slaves. Funny, since Sparta subjugated Messenia and turned its inhabitants into helots who laboured to produce grain for Sparta. While not exactly slaves, they had no freedom or political rights and were considered property. Sparta's famous warriors spent a lot of their time and energy hunting down and slaughtering any potential rebels.
I loved this line, spoken by Brutus on a recent episode of Rome, as he faced certain defeat and death at the hands of the troops of Mark Antony and Octavian:
"Tell my mother ... tell my mother ... something appropriate."
What I'd like to see would be a movie about the life of Epaminondas. He beat the Spartans at their own brand of warfare, twice, the second time being on their home turf. He liberated Messenia and broke the back of the Spartan war machine so effectively that they never again were the military superpower that they once were. Though it's not confirmed, he may have taught the art of war to Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. |
I dunno, I find Rome only mildly entertaining, not particularly well-acted, little gravitas to any of the actors. The whole thing plays like a stageplay to me and the dialogue is vanilla. Add to that there's no special eye candy (unless you count naked men's junk), and well, this series just doesn't have much going for it.
Give me Deadwood, The Wire, 300 any day over Rome. |
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SarcasmKills
Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:27 pm Post subject: Re: "300" vs. "Rome" |
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| JeJuJitsu wrote: |
I dunno, I find Rome only mildly entertaining, not particularly well-acted, little gravitas to any of the actors. The whole thing plays like a stageplay to me and the dialogue is vanilla. Add to that there's no special eye candy (unless you count naked men's junk), and well, this series just doesn't have much going for it.
Give me Deadwood, The Wire, 300 any day over Rome. |
Amazingly, I disagree with everything you say here....
Other than the need for more eye candy.. can always use more of that..
I've never watched an episode of Deadwood or The Wire though... |
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Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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| Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I'd rather watch Rome anyday... It's too bad the series finale in on tonight.. |
It's over? Already?! 
| Quote: |
I dunno, I find Rome only mildly entertaining, not particularly well-acted, little gravitas to any of the actors. The whole thing plays like a stageplay to me and the dialogue is vanilla. Add to that there's no special eye candy (unless you count naked men's junk), and well, this series just doesn't have much going for it.
Give me Deadwood, The Wire, 300 any day over Rome.
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Red:
As compared to "300," with Spartans bellowing like World Wrestling Federation characters.
Violet:
What's wrong with plays? Anyway, "300" plays like a video game.
Green:
I think that dialogue to be one of Rome's strongest points. I found "300" to have the worst dialogue since the last George Lucas movie. That is, when they did talk, as opposed to screaming.
"This. Is. Spaaaaartaaaaa!"
"Spartans, tonight we dine in hell!"
Orange:
How about historical accuracy? Though not totally true to history, at least "Rome" doesn't have an eight-foot tall Xerxes wearing only body piercings and a spandex thong.
How about political intrigue and maneuverings?
How about characters with depth?
How about realistic combat, with legions marching in formation (as opposed to Spartans breaking away from their phalanxes to go medieval Rambo on disfigured Persian ninjas)?
How about sets that really look like Rome, as opposed to an orange and yellow screen-saver? |
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Canuck Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:01 am Post subject: |
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I'll cross the Rubicon to defend Rome...the series. I only saw the first year on DVD back in the World, but was very impressed. A-list acting, convincing story line, amazingly real sets and historical accuracy, deep characters and an overall tone that assumes the people watching have a brain. golf clap!
other series on DVD i'd recommend to anyone who isn't a 14 year old boy:
Band of Brothers (the book was killer as well)
West Wing (esp the first few seasons)
Lost (season 1, esp the first 2-3 episodes which may be the best TV ever)
Firefly (they made a movie called Serenity from the series) |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:29 am Post subject: |
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ROME has the story down, but yeah... I'd dig more eye candy in it.
300 in IMAX blew my eyes out, but the story made me cringe.
Seems to be the consensus on here. |
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